Automatic telegraph



2 Sheets-Sheet 2' (No Model.) F. ANDERSON.

AUTOMATIC TELEGRAPH.

No. 265,358. Patented oct. 3. .1882.

Wig n $151966, In?? Z217.

NITE STATES FRANK ANDERSON, OF PEEKSKILL, NEYV YORK, A'SSIGNOR TO THEAMERI- CAN RAPID TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC TELEGRAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 265,358, dated October3, 1882.

Application filed May 20, 1881. Renewed September 6, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK ANDERSON, ofPeekskill, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Telegraphs; and I dohereby declare that the following is a iull, clear, and exactdescription of the same. My invention relates to telegraphic methods andapparatus of that class in which electrical 1o impulses of more or lessalternating polarity are sent into the line for the purpose ofincreasingthelegibility and speed. Though more broadly applicable, it ismore particularly designed for operation in connection with the specialmethod set forth in Letters Patent of the United States N 0. 172,409, ofJanuary 18, 1876. In that patent the perforated fillet of paper by whichthe proper connections and breaks in the circuit are made is providedwith two rows of holes alternating in position, and the alternateperforations are all used to form the characters which represent theletter or letters of the message transmitted. Thus the perforation orperforations in one line compose with alternating perforation orperforations in the other line an integral group of perforations, whichtransmit the character representing the letter. Itis essential in thismethod that these component perforations, or the perforation 0 orperforations in one line which produce a mark or a sign shall alternatewith the other componcntpertorationsintheotherline. These componentperforations which make up the integral group representing the characterare easily made so as to alternate, and when the integral perforationsor groups are composed of an even number of component perforations, andare followed by like groups of integral perforations, the samealternation of polarity would ensue between the groups forming differentcharacters which represent letters; but when uneven groups or integralperforations formed of an uneven number of component perforations arefollowed bylike uneven groups no alternation of polarity would ensuebetween these groups, and it became necessary to reverse the position ofan uneven group following an even or of an even group following anuneven. This reversal of the characters or groups of perforationsrepresenting the characters was accomplished in the machine shown inLetters Patent of the United States No. 228,585, dated June 8, 1880.

The object of this invention is to secure the necessary alternation ofpolarity, to avoid the complexity of the method and apparatus referredto, and to simplify the operation required in the final preparation orcomposition of a fillet for use in this system of telegraphy.

The nature of my invention is fully explained in the followingspecification in connection with matters well known in the art and inpart herein referred to, and is specifically indicated in the claims.

In the drawings,Figure 1 represents the band or fillet as prepared foruse in the composingmachine, and Fig.2 the fillet after leavin'gcomposingmachine and read y forthe transmitting-instrument. Fig. 3represents the writ-- ing or record produced by the fillet. Fig. 4 represents the transmitting mechanism with battery and connections. Fig. 5is a perspective view of transmitting and pole-changing device. Fig. 6shows modification of Figs. 4 and 5.Figs.7,8,and9alsorepresentmodifications.

It will be observed that the strip of paper represented in Fig. l isperforated with two rows of holes, separated by equal spaces, and theholes in one row located opposite the spaces in the other, whereby, whenthe fillet passes under the brushes used in the apparatus to which thisinvention relates, alternating impulses of opposite polarity are sent.If this strip of paper, perforated as shown, he put into a transmitterin which only a short impulse of opposite polarity is transmitted aftereach recording-current, or in-which a current of opposite polarity tothe recording-current flows on the line, whenever the recording-currentisbroken a single row of sharp dots is produced. The same strip in theapparatus shown in Patent No. 172,409, above referred to, will produce adouble row of sharp dots, and out of the single or double row by myselecting method the necessary characters may be taken to representletters of the alphabet. I propose, however, to use a transmittersubstantially such as that shown in Figs. land 5. In these figures,Arepresents a drum or cylinder equal in length to the width of the paperfillet. It is composed of three disks of metal, a a, a, insulated fromeach other by proper material, 0' r, the disk (6 being in electricalconnection with the shaft S, and through spring a with line L, the othertwo disks, to a, being connected one to the positive and one to thenegative pole of battery B by springs I) b. The battery B is equallydivided, so that onehalf only is in action at one time, it being vintnally two batteries. The rows of holes on a, Fig. 1, in the fillet areso placed that one row, m, will cover only the part a of the drum A, andthe other row the part a. testing on the drum A, except when separatedby the paper tillet, is the brush 0, whosewires, falling through theholes in succession as the paper is moved, close the circuit between theblush and the battery, first of one side or half and then of the otherof the battery; but never with both sides of the battery at once, owingto the alternation in position of the two rows of holes m n. \Vith paperperforated as in Fig. 1 in this transmitter no current could pass to theline L, because the part c of the brush iests on imperforate paper, andthe circuit is not completed to the line; but if another series of holesbe made in the fillet, as shown in Fig. 2, contact of the brush 0 with awill be permitted, and whichever current is passing into 0 through holeson or n will be transmitted to the line and thence to thereceiving-station. The holes of the third row are placed opposite(transversely) the holes in rows m or a, and never so as to cover two orpart of two holes. With a brush having one part, 0, set in advance or inthe rear of the other part the relative position of the holes might bedifferent. It the holes of the third row are made close together, sothat a hole in the third row comes opposite every hole in m and n, as.at the left in Fig. 2, the resulting record by. the double-pen systemwill be as shown in the lower corresponding part of Fig. 3--namely, aseries of dots (short dashes) alternating between the upper and lowerline, just as in the rows m and n of the perforated strip, and allresulting from the single row of holes in the lower part of the strip.Soit will be seen that as the upper rows of holes are all uniform andmay be prepared beforehand it is only necessary in composing a set ofcharacters to perforate in a single row and at proper points as manyholes as may be required. The uniform rows of holes m n act simply as apole-changer by presenting alternately positive and negative currents,while the third row acts solely to select those impulses that are neededto produce the desired characters. By noticing the perforations in Fig.2 it will be seen that when the lower line, I, of the perforations endsno more of the alternating currents presented can pass to the line Ltill other holes occur in that row. The result is that, as there is noopposing current to neutralize the last impulse, it continues for sometime to mark the paper, as in Fig. 3, gradually, however, failing. Now,

it another selecting-hole should occur and the hole selected in m or ashould be on the same line as the last, the two records would run together and destroy distinctness; but if we place our next selecting-holeopposite a polec'hanging hole whose number counting from the last is anodd number the recorded mark will be distinct, because it is on theopposite line from the preceding mark, as at 1, Fig. 3, and puts to theline an impulse of opposite polarity.

In forming the letter A of the Morse alphabet, as shown at 1, Fig. 3, inthe perforations two holes of line 1, Fig. 2, close together, selectsuccessive im pulses of opposite polarity, and the second hole, notbeing immediately followed byanother, tails out and forms the dash ofthe A. Now, to keep said dash from tailing outto an uncertain length,and thus losing its identity, a third hole is selected at an odd number,distant and therefore of an opposite polarity, to cut oil" the A dash.As there is no ready way of preventing this impulse from being recordedalso, (in the doublepen system,) the space is made long enough to make adash always recognizable as a spacedash. Thus we record or get a dot orline to reprcsentnot only the letters or characters, but a longer dashthat represents the space also, said space-dash being twice as long torepresent space between words. The next letter or Morse character shownin Fig. 3 is the letter 13, at 2, a dash and three dots-a letter whichrequires five selecting holes, including one for space. The nextletter-,3, Fig.3,shown is one of two dots, l, which requires threeselecting-holes. This letter is shown repeated in the perforationthatis, at the proper distance. Three more selecting-holes are made, sendingthree more impulses, two for dots and one for space-dash, which latterin this instance tails outindefinitely. By observing the two letters I Ithe effect of spacing the letters adistance that includes an odd numberof the pole-changing holes may be seen. It causes an alternation orreversal in the position ot'the reeordthat is, the I in one case beginson the.

upperline and in the other case on the lower line. If the second I (4)had begun on the same line as the first I, (3,) the first dot ofthesecond I would form a continuation of the first I-spaee, and only onedot (the upper) would have appeared. The selected holes in Fig.2 areblackened in the drawings, that this alternating feature may be readilyseen. As has been seen, this selection is accomplished by simplyallowing the proper distance between each letter, which is the otiice ofthe feeding mechan' ism of the composing-machine or perforator.

Fig. 6 shows a variation of the transmitter. Instead of dividing thedrum A, the brush (J may be divided into three parts, as shown, and thedrum left solid. In this form two of the brushes present opposite polesto the drum, and the latter connect to brush 0, thence to the linewhenever selecting-holes occur.

I do not confine myself to the precise form herein shown, for thearrangement can be varied in a number of ways without departing from thegeneral principle of my invention.

It is evident that the pole-changing holes may be placed opposite,instead of in alternatepositions, andthe brushes placed obliquely, asshown in Fig. 7, in which the spaces between the pole-changing holes areequal to the diameter of the holes, the selecting-holes andcontact-wheel being the same; or one brush may be placed behind theother and the holes in a single line, at a distance apart equal to totheir diameter, as shown in Fig.8, with the same result. In this casethe drum is solid and brush divided, as shown; or a single brush andsingle row of holes might be made to accomplish the same result througha peculiar arrangement, whereby one battery would act only when theother (a stronger one) was cut out, as shown in Fig. 9. In this figurethe battery A is double the power of battery B. The batteries haveopposite poles to the ground, and the contact-wheel is divided, one partbeing to earth and the other to line. \Vhen the fillet is in positionshown in the figure battery A overpowers B by an amount equal to B,and apositive current goes to line. \Nhen brush a falls on the contact wheelthrough a hole battery A is short-circuited and B throws a negativeimpulse to the line. The selecting-holes are the same.

It is also evident that other means may be used in connection with adrum, besides the double row of holes, to cause the alternatives ofpolarity, and the alternatives otherwise produced may be selected in thesame way by the brush and selecting-perforations.

The main object of my invention is included in any of these methods,that object being the simplification ot' the work done by the composerof a message, so that comparatively simple mechanism will perform thework.

The previous perforation of the two uniform rows of holes is a verysimple operation, and is designed to be done on separate machines. Thenthe paper, perforated as shown in Fig. 1, is put into the perforator forperforation of the third row, the holes previously made serve as an aidto the controlling of the paper, so thata certain relation may always bepreserved between them and the selecting-holes, made during thecomposing operation. This is accomplished by having the feed-wheel ofthe perforator studded with pins that enter part of the holes and insureproper position of paper fillet.

I am aware that transmitting-instruments that present alternate currentsfor selection have been used, as in the Wheatstone system amlothers; butthe said alternations or polechangers were produced by separatemechanism and entirely independent of the perforated fillet.

I am also aware that paper fillets have been used forcausingalternations of currents, as in the Foote and Randall patent abovereferred to and others; but in these methods the alternations are madeonly as they are selected, and require complicated combinations ofperforations and perforating mechanism that are difficult to produce andoperate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combinationwith a drum and electrical connections, as described, a filletperforated with two rows of equidistant alternating holes, adapted tooperate in connection with contactpoints, and also provided with a thirdset of selecting-holes adapted to operate in connection with a thirdbrush or contact-point, whereby the selected impulses are put to line,substantially as described.

2. The combination of the drum, composed of three insulated sections andprovided with electrical connections, as described, a brush, G, adaptedto cover the three sections, and of a fillet provided with two rows ofequidistant holes made to operate in connection with the brushes aspole-changers, and provided also with a third row of selecting-holes,arranged in the described relation to the first, all substantially asset forth.

3. A fillet of paper or like material perforated with two continuousseries of equidistant holes that act as pole-changers, and having aseries of selecting-holes arranged in the described relation to thepole-changing holes-namely, having the selecting-holes so spaced thatthe distance from one impulse to another shall always include an oddnumber of the pole-changing holessubstantially as set forth.

4. A fillet of paper perforated with two series ofequidistant holesadapted to act aspolechangers, an additional row of holes adapted toselect of the impulses presented those only that are an odd numberdistant, substantially as described.

5. In a transmitting-instrument in which a pole-changing fillet of paperis used of the special form shown, the drum or cylinder A, divided intothree insulated sections, a a a, and the springs or brush 0, made wideenough to cover the three sections, substantially as described.

6. A perforated non-conducting fillet having one or more rows ofequidistant holes, in combination with a divided contactwheel, suitablebrushes, and line and battery connections, substantially asdescribed,.whereby the fillet acts as a continuous pole-changer,substantially as described.

7. A perforated non-conducting fillet having two rows of equidistantholes, in combination with a divided contact-wheel and line and-batteryconnections, substantially as described, whereby the fillet acts as apolechanger, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresenceof two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK ANDERSON.

NVitnesses:

RUFUS ANDERSON, OOLERIDGE A. HART.

IIS

